WARRINGTON Animal Welfare is appealing for help to rehome more than 300 chickens it helped to rescue from a battery farm.

The Slutchers Lane-based animal shelter is currently housing a total of 320 rescue hens after they were saved from the abattoir.

WAW and Phoneix Hen Rescue UK were part of a network of charities who helped to rescue 1,000 chickens from cages at an undisclosed farm around five hours away from Warrington.

Trustee Julie Pickett said: "It was a five-hour round trip to collect these lovely ladies, but it was worth it.

"They have spent their whole lives livening in sheds, having never had the chance to be outside and enjoy the sunshine or the feel of fresh ground under the feet – they truly lived a miserable existence and some of them were in a shocking state."

But the hens are now enjoying their newly-found freedom and are searching for permanent, loving homes.

Ashlee Crook, who has adopted 12 of the formerly caged chickens, said: "We had never had hens before, but we had the space and felt it was really important to rescue rather than buy hens.

"This way, we can offer them sanctuary and enjoy fresh eggs that we know are ethical and cruelty-free."

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Animal Welfare volunteers with some of the battery hens

Julie added: "We were overwhelmed with the response from local people who wanted to give these lovely ladies a second chance and have offered them a safe haven for the rest of their lives.

"We would really like people to think about where their eggs come from and to please consider, when buying eggs, where they have come from and to try and make the ethical choice."

READ > Warrington's first vegan supermarket opens in town centre 

Anyone interested in adopting the hens is asked to contact Warrington Animal Welfare via Facebook.

Adoptions come with a small fee per hen, which covers the cost of treatment for the animals.